


Signs That Show the Way Back Home

by roguefaerie



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brief John Winchester, Brief Missouri Moseley, Dean Winchester Actually Deals With Feelings, Dean Winchester Has Feelings, Episode: s01e01 Pilot, Happy Ending, Hunter Jessica Moore, Jessica Moore Lives, Multi, Necromancer dean winchester, Necromancy, No actual zombies, Resurrection, Season/Series 01, Stand Alone, Temporary Character Death, all's well that ends well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27435493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roguefaerie/pseuds/roguefaerie
Summary: They don't let go of Jess.
Relationships: Jessica Moore/Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12
Collections: Holly Poly 2020





	Signs That Show the Way Back Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Huntress79](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/gifts).



“We’re not letting this happen,” Dean says, and Sam blinks at him.

“What?”

“I’m not losing another person in a fire, Sammy. Not one more person. We’ve got work to do.”

Oh.

When Dean puts it like that Sam realizes--

\--he’s probably serious. In fact, he’s never seen Dean so determined in his entire life.

“Dean, you just met--”

“I don’t care. Whatever that thing is, it’s not winning.”

“Dean, are you okay?”

“No, Sam, I’m-- Would you-- Are you okay?”

“Of course not.”

“Sammy.”

“Dean. Come here. Just come here.”

Dean watches him warily for just long enough that it’s slightly uncomfortable and then Dean says, “Really?”

“Yes. Sure. Of course.”

When Dean lets himself walk closer to Sam and lean into him, Sam lets it happen too, almost like he’s telling himself it was Dean’s idea to begin with. He relaxes along with Dean and senses the tension ease out of Dean-- finally-- finally, for the first time since they’ve seen each other and Sam can breathe. He gets an arm around Dean and is thinking no one has any idea who Dean is here and that’s a relief.

There’s a long silence and then, “Do you really mean it?” Sam asks.

“Of course I do. You love her.” Dean turns slightly in Sam’s arms. “Don’t you?”

“Well, yeah. But Dean. Are you...aren’t you…” Sam spreads his hands. "I mean..." He's relieved he and Dean are talking and being honest, but that doesn't make the conversation easy.

“We’re not just going to let her die. We’ll find a way, Sammy. We’ll call Missouri.”

Sam smiles. “Missouri.”

“Yeah. You know I’m really supposed to, if anything like this happens. I didn’t yet, and I didn’t know why, but now I do.”

“Yeah. Now I do too.”

* * *

They cut to the chase after that. Missouri is their next call. She doesn’t know where their father is, but there’s a sad smile in her voice over the speaker when they bring up Jess.

“The world has ways, Dean Winchester, of bringing people back. Ours does, anyway.”

She seems to trust Dean's judgment, which might be why she made sure Dean had her number, all those years ago.

Sam's heart swells just enough to fill with hope.

* * *

They’re gathering the herbs and other materials Missouri talks to them about when Sam stops suddenly, squints at Dean and says, “Really? You’re sure?”

“Yeah, Sam. I need you happy. Not just desperate and lonely all the time. I need you to look out for me too and that means you need to be in the best shape you can be.”

“So you think… bringing my girlfriend back… Dean, do you like her?”

Dean winks at him and his eyes shine a little. “Maybe, Sammy. But that’s not the point. Not yet. First we get her back. Then we see what she wants to do.”

“Seems like if we tell her this was all your idea…”

Dean’s smile is genuine when he says, “Think we can win against the Firestarter, Sam?”

“Yeah, Dean. I do.”

“Good. Then let’s get back to work.”

* * *

“What about--?”

“One thing at a time, Sam. We’re not letting it win.”

No. They are not.

* * *

When they let the magic loose in a field nearby, Sam watches the sparks fly and reaches for Dean’s hand. He squeezes it and says a clipped, “Thank you, Dean,” that hangs in the air no matter how fast the words come out of him.

“See what happens first, Sammy,” Dean says back as the sparks coalesce into a doorway full of green mist. Sam nods. Smiles a tight smile and waits to see if anyone walks through it.

And then she’s there, as beautiful as the day Sam first saw her, with her hair all around her face like a halo.

She steps through the doorway, confused, and Sam suddenly realizes she looks green-ish too, all on her own, not the tint of a zombie but as if she’s going to throw up or faint. He runs to her and catches her, body settling around her comfortably and tears start to stream down his face.

“Sam? What happened? There was-- A fire?”

“Ssh. I know. Dean, he… we… we got you back.”

“Got me back? Dean? What kind of person is Dean?”

“A committed one.”

* * *

About an hour later, Jess isn’t as green or as disoriented. She’s staring at Dean with wonder. “So…” she says, “Are you like Constantine or something?”

Dean laughs. Then Sam laughs.

“Not really. Not exactly,” Dean says. “I’m an amateur. Our Dad’s the real pro. It’s just… well, we don’t know where he is. But you…. I wasn’t about to let you go.”

Jess blushes enough that it’s clear the color is back in her face. “Um. Yeah. I guess that’s clear now.”

“Listen. It doesn’t have to mean anything. I just. The whole thing reminded me of someone. And I couldn’t let it happen again.”

“Trust me, Dean. It means a lot.”

Sam shoots Dean a look that says, ‘I told you so,’ and then he squints, studying both of them. And smiles. “Dean’s...kind of like this. Go big or go home.”

“So what happens now?” Jess asks.

“Whatever you want to happen,” they say in unison.

* * *

“So you two are...uh…”

“It’s complicated,” Sam says. “We might be complicated. Our Dad’s, uh…”

“He drinks,” she says. “Because he knows the secrets of the universe or something?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

“Well, I dunno if I blame him, it’s kind of a lot.” She pauses. “I...uh. Shouldn’t have said that. I...do blame him? Do you blame him, Sam?”

“Most of the time. Sometimes less.”

Jess nods. “So...can you teach me?”

* * *

They’re in the car. Dean is letting Sam drive, and Jess is letting Dean sit in the back with her. Because maybe they’re both a little bit stunned that it worked, and Dean wasn’t very sure that his come-on would be worth anything but then again willingness to commit Necromancy--well, it wasn’t what he expected of himself a few days ago but now it settles between them like a shared truth.

Jess leans into his shoulder and sighs, closing her eyes and drifts in and out of sleep between lessons on every evil thing John Winchester knows about.

“If Sam loves you… I mean, I don’t get why you guys weren’t talking but… Maybe I will.”

“Maybe you will,” Dean says, and brushes her hair away from her eyes. “We gotta find out what the hell else is going on, first, maybe. What that thing is. Why it wanted you… why it did what it did. Again.”

“Who was it?” Jess asks.

“Our Mom.”

She winces and sighs. “So I remind you of your Mom? That’s kind of weird, Dean, you gotta admit.”

“Not...exactly. You… look like her. So in the fire… you looked like her too.” His jaw clenches. “I couldn’t let it happen again. Not for keeps.”

“Well. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. Besides. You make Sammy happy, and his happiness matters to me.”

She smiles. “Yeah. Me too.” Then she lets out another sigh and says, “I’m still a little sleepy, back here.”

“You’ve been through a lot. Get some rest. Me and Sam, we’re right here.”

“You wanna drive?” she asks.

“Hell, yes.”

“Go ahead, Dean. It’s your car.”

Dean grins. “That she is. Hey, Sammy. Time to shove over.”

* * *

She can see what happens to Dean’s face when he makes a phone call and it rings and rings (or skips the rings) and answers to only voicemail. She’s starting to see the way his face looks when he’s hiding the emotion he’s feeling about it all.

They explain the motel rooms, and it makes her realize the way she’s noticed that Sam picks at his food makes total sense now. There’s gotta be a word for the way Sam is about food, besides nervous, unsettled.

Her heart aches for them and fills with gratitude that she’s in this car with them right now.

* * * 

By the time they finally find John Winchester, the three of them have talked over everything it’s ever been worth talking about. Jess clasps Sam’s hand, a bit nervous, letting it go and then clasping it again, and looks at the man who’s created enough family secrets that maybe in another life his boys wouldn’t have even made it ( _out alive_ , her brain supplies, the words making her feel skittish and a little lightheaded.).

She doesn’t call him sir, and when the word almost slips out of Dean’s mouth she shoots him a look. Just like Sam (well, maybe not just like him, exactly), she already wishes Dean cared more about himself than this.

John Winchester lets them go. He sees the three of them, knows by their stances that they’ve been hunting together for as long as he’s been missing. He says, “I’m happy you’re happy, Sam,” and then he gets in his truck and is gone as quickly as he can get out of there.

And they breathe a sigh of relief. Jess takes Dean’s hand, too, and lets their hands swing a bit, then squeezes both of their hands and says, “Well, that was something.”

Dean laughs, a real, genuine laugh and says, “I’m glad you made it back.”

“Me too,” Jess says. “Thank you.”

She knows that Dean would do it all again if he could. He’d do it all again, and so would she.

**Author's Note:**

> Title (and summary) from Foy Vance, "She Burns"  
> (Not a song about immolation)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IoMTmJ7SKw
> 
> After reveals: Also, if you want more where this premise came from, I have a (separate) slow burn Sam/Dean/Jess series here: https://archiveofourown.org/series/828873


End file.
